Paul and I managed to fit in two hikes before we left the Phoenix area. The first one was supposed to be the Siphon Draw trail to the Flat Iron Trail. 
This is a 6-7 mile hike with 3200 feet of elevation gain. We didn’t make it to the top- after 2 hours of hiking we were only half way there and 1700 feet still to climb. At the top of this picture you an see the Flat Iron portion of the trail. It does look like an iron. If you enlarge the picture (click on it) you will see the little tiny people on the trail. 
We didn't get on the trail early enough in the day to make the whole trip. Once we got to the basin part, the going got a little slippery and slow going. The trail is pretty steep. It wasn't anything we couldn't handle, but I got concerned about making it back down. Sometimes going down is more dangerous than going up. I saw many people scooting down on their butts. I’m not proud- if scooting on my butt is what keeps me from falling, so be it. 
Once we had gone as far as I was willing to go, we sat down and enjoyed the view while we ate lunch.
Paul decided he wanted to explore a bit further, so I waited for him while he climbed higher up the mountain. If it looks like he is going straight up, it’s because he is!
Once he was on the other peak he called out to me, and I took a few pictures of him. If you look carefully you can see him standing along the ridge.
It turns out I was worried for nothing, and going back down the slick rock was slow, but not too slippery. If we come back, I’d be willing to try again to get to the top.
Dutchman’s Trail
The second trail we hiked was actually a combination of the Dutchman’s Trail and the Bluff Spring Trail, in the Tonto National Forest.
Here’s where most of the “surprise” came into play. The views from the Siphon Draw trail were dramatic and although the views along the Dutchman’s trail were great, they didn't really compare. 
The combination of the two trails was about 9.5 miles long, and took us over 6 hours. There wasn't a ton of elevation gain, but I stopped to take a million pictures, which slowed us down.
Hiking in the desert after a spring rain brings many surprises. First of all, there is the water- quite a few streams and waterfalls were running that usually aren't.
The water turns everything green.
The greenery brings out the “wildlife”
….and the color and variety of flowers was absolutely amazing:
It was an excellent hike.
We've now left Mesa and have actually been in Los Angeles visiting our daughter for the last few days. That, of course, will be a different post.
We loved that area. We hiked Dutchman’s Trail. Yes, it is a beauty.
ReplyDelete